Ascendance of Twilight

C1: A Sorceress Reborn and The Prophecy of Apollo

It was a chilly night in the English hills outside the valley where a famous circle of stones known as Stonehenge rested. It was December 21st 1987, the winter equinox; when the power of light and dark shifted again from the summer equinox when the light of the sun was in power to when the dark of the moon held sway in the vast snowy months.

It was on this night, that three figures appeared out of thin air. The figures all had slight builds inferring that they were female, but one of the figures, that of a child was being held by the second of the two taller women. The women began walking towards the large circle of stones, which as they crossed the boundary of the stones, the wind swirled and the stones shined anew just as the day they were set.

The woman holding the child set the child down on the alter stone in the center of the stone ring. The second woman lowered her hood revealing a head of pure white hair and a deeply lined face with faded brown eyes. The first woman also lowered her hood revealing silvery white hair and a smooth face with sparkling blue eyes.

The old woman looked at the younger woman. "I know you have reservations about this, Artimis. But it must be done to give Magic a chance to survive. The way it is now, Magic is in turmoil. The so called 'Leader of the Light' has marginalized the Dark, so much so that its champion sunk into the Forbidden Arts. So, now Magic must choose a new champion. One outside the war." The older woman said.

"I know, Mother. But does it have to be my daughter?" Artimis asked.

"You know that it must. Your name sake will give her the power to see the ancient prophecy of Apollo come into fruition and the strength to stand by her chosen until his enemies are dust." The old woman replied as she turned to the sleeping child on the alter stone between them. "Now, let us begin." The old woman said as she looked up to the sky to see the full moon shining up them, its light slowly moving towards the alter stone and the child that lay upon it.

The two women began working on the runic circle, in a swift, but careful manner as they had to finish the circle before the moon hit the alter stone. Because once the full moon hit the alter stone, they would only have a few minutes to complete the ritual before the moon began to move from its zenith, otherwise they would have to do the ritual when the child would be fourteen and by then it would be too late.

They finished the circle with all due haste and each stood at each end of the stone, one at the head of the child, the other at its feet and would move in a clockwise circle ending at the sides of the child.

They watched the moon enter the ring of stones and move towards the alter stone. They hurriedly took their places and slowly calmed themselves and began the chant in an ancient language that had been spoken long before the Roman horde stormed Britannia.

I mewn 'r enwa chan 'r leuad

Archa 'r hud chan hon 'n gysegr-lân nos

at chymhorthdal hon blentyn 'r allu chan 'r 'n flaen ddewines

a 'r 'n gysegr-lân anrhegion chan Delphi

As the moon neared its zenith, their chanting grew in volume and the magic of Stonehenge reacted to the chant and the magic of the equinox. At the moment of the moon reaching its zenith, the two women ended the ritual with the final line and in response the magic flared and swirled around the child, shifting her blond hair into curls of silver hair with black edging. The child's eyes turned silvery-white and she began to speak in a monotone voice.

When death reclaims his guardian

Then the power of the Master shall pour forth.

Those chosen by the people, shall betray the Master to its servant,

And in so doing, the Master shall arise anew sweeping across the land

With the sorceress, and the power of Delphi at his side, the Lord of Anaon

Shall call forth the circle of old and new allies from all houses

And remake the world in his image, free of both Light and Darkness

And all shall rejoice in the coming of the Dawn of the Age of Twilight.

-X-X-X-X-

Far away a second child slept the night away, enveloped in eternal darkness only to see the light of day when its jailer's decided. The magic of the equinox sought out the sleeping child and enveloped him in a soft purple light, seeping into him and transforming him and in essence altering his future path of scorching Light to a path of soft Darkness and blazing stars.